Energy Recovery Linear Accelerator

This photocathode gun, which is part of the ERL injector, is where high brightness electron bunches are created.

X-ray beams from charged particle accelerators have become an essential tool in today's investigation of all types of materials, from airplane wings to cell membranes and from pollutants in leaves to matter under earth-core pressures. The development of a new type of accelerator, called Energy Recovery Linear accelerator or ERL, envisioned and invented at Cornell, that provides more brilliant beams in shorter pulses will move such investigations to new frontiers.

The ERL proposed to be built at Cornell (shown in the layout above) will serve as an upgrade to the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) and will be the first-ever ERL x-ray source. For details please see the Cornell ERL Science Case and Cornell ERL PDDR.